The Commander's Vessel
by C.J Todd
Summary: None of the angels know what becomes of them or where they do when they die. Not even the eldest. Michael falls into the pit with Lucifer, but that isn't where he ends up.
1. Chapter 1

The First.

The Firstborn.

The First of the Four.

The First of all of the Lord's soldiers.

He was the Commander.

The Commander of them all. The leader of God's armies.

One seated on the Right Side of the Divine Throne.

The quintessential Guardian Angel.

The Eldest Brother.

Mikael; Michael; מִיכָאֵל; Μιχαηλ.

Who is like unto God?

St. Michael.

EL DE MAELPEREJI

The Archangel Michael.

Michael had remembered the look on his brother's face as he was cast from heaven when he was brought down into the pit by Sam Winchester. He remembered falling, Lucifer in the vessel of Sam Winchester, no longer in his grasp, but falling faster. Then, he remembered nothing.

A voice spoke to him. Unrecognizable, but oddly familiar.

" _Michael, I will give you another chance. You will learn the lesson that Gabriel and Castiel learned."_

Quite eventful, for nothingness.

Michael wanted to comply with the voice.

He just didn't know if he could.

He'd lost his faith since Lucifer was lost and Zie left.

" _Achieving redemption is the goal. How and why is for you to discover. Learn from your sins rather than condemn yourself for them. I have faith in you."_

Michael felt his true form overcome him. The nothingness started to disappear replaced by the vast expanses of space and time.

" _Have faith, my son."_

Mikael spread his wings, " _I will, Father."_

* * *

Draco Malfoy was a bit of a strange boy; not that his parents would ever admit to such a plebeian thing.

Born the heir to the illustrious Noble and Ancient House of Malfoy and heir apparent through his mother to the Noble and Ancient House of Black, Draco was of impeccable breeding with a handsome father and a lovely mother. He was very privileged and had water he wanted at his beck and call at his birth. His parents loved him, very much so, even though he was left to be cared for a house elf most of the time. The Lady of the House of Malfoy changing a dirty diaper simply wasn't done.

Still, his parents loved him above all else.

That didn't mean he wasn't a bit of a lonely boy.

He wanted friends.

He didn't know why, but for much of his life he couldn't help but feel alone.

Pansy just wanted to be the next Lady Malfoy.

Millicent intimidated him.

Theodore was annoying.

Blaise was good company, but also a crybaby.

Vincent and Gregory were to be bodyguards like their fathers had been for Draco's. They pretended to be dim since it was what their fathers expected of them; couldn't show up the future Lord Malfoy. Draco prefered them the way they truly were. If they were truly dumb as rocks, they would been a bore. Still they weren't the adventuring type.

Draco wanted a friend who'd go on adventures with him. He wanted a friend like Harry Potter. Dobby the house elf only fueled his idea of being Harry Potter's friend.

Draco just knew Harry would be a great friend.

It didn't happen.

Draco was a bit unsure of himself around strangers, having been alone most of his life, so tried his best to mimic his father in every way. His father knew how to handle others, but apparently it didn't work. He'd insulted Harry somehow, even though he didn't know why or how.

It only escalated.

Harry became a rival rather than a friend.

Harry found others to take on adventures.

Draco tried to not let anyone see how it hurt him, although he was sure his mother knew somehow. She was just like that. He supposed all mothers were, or at least most.

Little changed as he grew. His puzzlement over Harry Potter remained, until He rose.

Everything changed once He returned.

Draco noticed a change in his father. He noticed his beautiful mother appearing more and more stressed and strung as the days went by. He noticed a cruelty in his father he had never noticed before. He no longer thought of the Death Eaters as some grand adventure. Disillusioned wasn't even a strong enough word. He was sickened. He wanted to be things as they were when he was small. He wanted stories, and not the nightmare he found himself in. He wanted his parents back. The Dark Lord stole them from him. It wasn't long until Draco himself was his. He despised it, but he feared Death. He feared having to witness the death of his family. So, he complied with the Dark Lord's wishes.

He had been given an important mission.

Draco knew it was more of a punishment than a reward for his Father's failures.

He'd been tasked to kill Albus Dumbledore. Something The Dark Lord hadn't been able to do himself. Draco tried to fool himself, but he didn't know how a school boy would manage to kill the only wizard the Dark Lord had ever feared.

Draco hated himself for his incompetence.

He hated his father for his failure.

He _hated_ the Dark Lord, but he couldn't disobey.

He was glad to be back at Hogwarts. It meant he was away from the Dark Lord. But he knew he was crumbling under the pressure of his mission. He'd taken to hiding from the other Slytherins as much as he could. Hiding in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom had become one of his most used spots since no one ever went in there. The forbidden forest had terrified him when he was young, but now it provided him a quiet secluded place to think and walk without being disturbed. The Dark Lord had gone from prowling in the forest to his very home. His father had been arrested. His mother's life depended on his success. Failure wasn't an option.

Draco knew he was mean, spoiled, arrogant, childish in how he went about dealing with Harry Potter, but he knew one thing for sure and he knew he wasn't a killer. The Dark Lord had no space in his inner circle for a man who could not kill. It made Draco sick to his stomach at the very he wandered, careful to not go too far into the forest, and he tried to think of anyway he could get his mother and himself out of the situation alive. The only thing that came to his mind was to kill Albus Dumbledore.

He knew the Dark Lord expected him to fail.

His own mother expected him to fail.

No one believed him capable for murder. Draco knew he wasn't.

His father had always told him a Malfoy showing weakness wasn't a Malfoy at all, but Draco couldn't help but feel weak. He'd cried in a bathroom with a ghost trying to console him. He didn't think he could get any lower than that. Draco had just wanted to do what his father wanted. He wanted to make him proud.

As Draco walked through the forest, he didn't put much thought into his path. He felt himself drawn to somewhere deeper into the forest, so he continued walking. He didn't run into any centaurs or other unseemly creatures. In fact, he thought it eerily quiet, even for the Forbidden Forest. Still, he continued on.

He tried not to think of the Dark Lord.

Or his parents.

He just walked.

Draco found himself in front of a beautiful tree. There was no other way to describe the magnificent foliage in front of him. It was so different from the other trees in the forest, almost like it didn't belong there. Draco considered walking back to the castle, but his body moved anyway his hand outstretched. He touched his fingers against the rough feel of the bark. Then everything went white with a burning light.

 _Michael_

 _Power filled him up, but it felt chained, restrained._

 _He stretched out his wings across the universe._

 _He was Draco Malfoy. He was a Wizard._

 _He was Michael. He was an archangel._

 _He had no siblings, and yet the eldest brother of thousands._

 _Michael._

 _Older than everything with God and Death as the exceptions._

 _The warrior._

 _Do not be afraid._

 _Draco._

 _Michael._


	2. Chapter 2

_'I will help you. Do not be afraid. **'**_

 _ **'Who are you?' Draco asked.**_

 _'I am you. We are we. We are one. You are me. I am Michael. You are Draco. Yet we are one. I ask of you to allow me to reside with you.'_

 ** _'Why?' Draco asked._**

 _'I wish to assist you.'_

 ** _'No one can help me.'_**

 _'I can.'_

 ** _'What are you?'_**

 _'Let me show you.'_

Draco remembered centuries upon centuries. He remembered the galaxies being formed. He remembered his brethren. He remembered when his Father first spoke his name. MICHAEL. He remembered the creation of every single on his brethren. He remembered the glory and righteousness of the Host. He remembered as they sang the praise of their Father. He remembered his Father creating the humans. He remembered Lucifer, Samael's, refusal of the humans. He remembered Gabriel's supposed death and then his actual. He remembered his pride and arrogance. Oh, how he remembered.

Michael saw Draco's short years of his life. He remembered how his mother adored him, and how his father was so strict. He remembered when Lucius first taught him what it meant to be a pureblood. He remembered his desire to fulfil anything for his father, a desire he held onto for so long as Michael that it followed through with Draco He remembered Harry Potter refusing his offer of friendship. He remembered his pride and arrogance. He remembered the Dark Lord making him and making him his.

His forearm warmed and Draco watched as the Dark Mark disappeared from his arm.

 _He is no Lord of mine._

Draco gripped his now naked forearm and nodded, "He's no lord of mine."

 _My Lord is God_

Draco had never learned much about Christianity. Most witches and wizards were Pagans and the religion of muggles was said to be beneath them. Now, he knew that centuries ago there had been no such divide. Before the fall of Babylon, before humans believed witchcraft to be a sin. Draco couldn't feel powerful in comparison to Michael.

Draco walked away from the tree feeling something he hadn't quite felt for a while.

Hope.

Draco asked, "How can you help me, Michael?"

 _I believe not talking aloud to yourself is a start._

Draco chuckled, 'Yeah I'd rather not get shipped off to 's'

 _I know no Saint called Mungos._

Draco rolled his eyes, 'It's a hospital.'

 _Oh._

 ** _Guess we'll have to help each other then._**

 _Michael replied, 'Truthfully, I know not yet what lesson Our Heavenly Father wishes me to learn, but I shall endeavor to help you however I can. I know of the mission you've been set upon. I know how you wish to please your father. I wished for it too. I was ready to destroy the world to do so. Do not make the mistakes I have made.'_

 ** _So your saying I need to decide whether to do what my father wants or to do what I think I want to do. How will I know which path is the right one._**

 _Only you can know._

Draco did want to please his father, but what Michael said resonated with him. They both had, and look how that ended for Michael. Draco wanted to keep his mother safe. There was nothing that could be done for his father in Azkaban. He wanted to survive. For once in his life, he wanted to not do what his father said if it meant having to bow before a mad man. He didn't know what to do.

A dreamy voice said, "I was out looking for Hinkypunks, but I thought you should know your wings are very beautiful. Very fierce and regal."

Draco turned to see that Lovegood girl walking at his side. He tried his hardest not to scowl and send the loon on her way.

 _She's not insane. She has a gift. She can see._

Draco scratched the back of his neck, "They're not really my wings. They're Michael's."

Luna smiled, "Oh, I figured you and Michael were one in the same, but I suppose thinking of you two as separate entities would help your sanity. When I was small, I would always set out tea in case any angels dropped by. It's nice to finally meet one. Can you tell him I pray for his brother even no one else does? I always thought he needed it most."

 _Samael. She speaks of Lucifer. Oh, Father._

Draco said, "We should probably head back to the castle. You probably shouldn't be seen with me anyway."

"Is it because we both have light blonde hair?"

Draco glanced at her hair and then up at his. She was right they were almost the same color, "No, that's not it. I'm a Slytherin. You're part of Potter's little fan club, and well I'm-me.

 ** _The son of a Death Eater. A Death Eater branded by Voldemort._**

Luna said, "I would be friends with a Slytherin if a Slytherin wished to be friends with me. I know of other Ravenclaws who are friends with Slytherins. I don't think Harry would like it very much if there was such a thing as his own fan club, but I don't believe I'm part of one unless I've forgotten about it. Harry is just my friend. I quite like having friends. Would you like to be my friend. You and Michael?"

Draco sighed, "I don't want you to get in any trouble for being seen with me."

Luna gasped, "I didn't know if was against the law."

"It isn't just-."  
Luna swung her arms as she walked before it turned into a skip, "Then, if it's not against the law I can be seen with you. I won't be of in any trouble."

Draco snorted, "What about Potter?"

Luna stopped skipping, "If Harry is my friend he should not be any trouble if I wanted to make another. I don't think Harry is that silly, although he sometimes gets Wrackspurts."

Draco shrugged his shoulders, "Truthfully, with Michael in my head I can't really care about being seen with you. I mean, I have an archangel in my head, or I am an archangel, or whatever, but if Crumpled Horned Snorkacks are actually real then that can't be any weirder."

Luna giggled, "You remembered a Crumpled Horned Snorkack and I didn't even mention it."

Draco tried to hid the blush that heated up his face, "Well, I suppose I sometimes listened to you. I thought it amusing and you just seemed so uncaring it was kind of-refreshing."

Luna shrugged, "My mother always told me to be myself even if Nargles take my things."

Draco said, "My mother always told me to be a proper Malfoy. A Malfoy doesn't do certain things. A Malfoy behaves a certain way."

"Do Malfoy's hang out with Lovegood's?" Luna asked.

Draco allowed a small smile to come to his lips, "This one does."

Luna clapped her hands together, "That's nice. I have an idea how to help you with your situation. We can attend a DA meeting, Hermione convinced Harry to start it up again, and you can prove yourself to them. With the Order, you can help your mother and stay safe while doing what if right. I know you don't want to just hide. You have a Gryffindor side, but don't worry I won't tell. I can help you with your powers as well, Michael."

Draco blinked and then blinked again, "Wait a minute, you want me, Draco Malfoy, to go to Potter's little Defense club. You think I should go to the Order of the Phoenix for help, and that I should fight on the side of the Light."

"Technically, whatever side your on seems more Light all things considering with Michael."

Draco ran a hand through his hair, "One thing at a time, okay. I can't go to Potter's Defense Club. I'm Draco Malfoy."

"You're also Michael, and I'm Luna Lovegood. Now that we've all been introduced let's go." Luna grabbed his hand and started dragging him out of the forest. Draco protested, and tried to use his strength to help him remain, but Michael wasn't exactly helping.

 _I think you should go._

 ** _You're supposed to be on my side. I thought you were me!_**

 _I thought we were going with the separate identities thing._

Draco huffed. Having an Archangel in his head was going to be harder than he thought.


	3. Chapter 3

Ps. Sirius is alive just because.

* * *

"I'm going to end up being hexed into next week you know that right, and if not that Granger might punch me. Do you know she once called me a cockroach? Me!"

Luna skipped along without a care, "I'll make sure no one punches you or hexes you."

Draco glanced unsure at the top of Luna's head and her small hands, "Yeah, I'm sure you'll stop them with your fiery wrath."

Luna nodded, "I'll try, just don't smite anyone and we'll be fine."

 _Don't exactly feel up to smiting right now, and that might be counterproductive._

When Theodore Nott walked past them and did a double take with his mouth wide open when he saw who Draco was walking with, Draco considered why exactly he agreed to follow her.

 _Because you are lonely and out of options._

Draco swallowed a lump that formed in his throat as they got closer and closer to the classroom Dumbledore had assigned for the Defense Club. Luna just skipped not showing any nervousness about taking the school bully to a meeting with her friends. Draco said, "Maybe this isn't such a good idea."

Luna responded, "Whether or not it's a good idea is irrelevant. We must keep moving on."

Draco tugged on Luna's sleeve as soon as she got to the classroom door, "I really don't know about this, Lu-Lovegood."

Luna smiled, "You can call me Luna. It's fine. I do know about his and I feel it is the right decision."

Luna patted his hand reassuringly, "Everything will be fine, you'll see."

Draco found himself slammed against the classroom wall by Ron with Harry's wand pointed at his neck. The other Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws just watched on with a mix of anger, curiosity, and disbelief. Harry demanded, "What the hell do you think your doing here, Malfoy."

Luna banged her fist against Harry's back, "Harry Potter, you put your wand away right now! Draco is with me and I won't allow you to hurt him."

Harry lowered his wand, but Ron didn't move away.

Luna put her hands on her hips, "I said that is enough, Ronald!"

Ron through his hands into the air and asked, "Why did you bring him here then? It's _Malfoy_?" He spat out Draco's surname like it was a curse.

Luna replied, "Draco is my friend. He is here to prove he is not a meanie."  
Draco mumbled under his breath, "If we're being honest I kind of am-"

 _I most certainly am not._

 _ **Let's me honest, you kind of are too.**_

"Hush, Draco. Now, no one will bully Draco. What will we be learning today than, Professor Potter."

Harry eyed Draco suspiciously, but decided the best course of action was to ignore him, "Well, we were going to be working on the patronus for those who are new and those who didn't manage it last time."

Ron glared at Draco before going back to the rest of the DA. Hermione observed him curiously, but said nothing and followed after him. Luna turned to Draco and said, "The patronus charm is a bit difficult, but I feel you can do it. Just think of your happiest memory. You have to really feel it and then just let it out! The incantation is Expecto Patronum."

Draco raised his wand, not really caring for all the students who fearfully moved out fo the way, and thought of the time when his family was happy when he was a boy, "Expecto Patronum."

Nothing.

Draco tried again thinking of his mother and how he would feel in her arms when he was small, "Expecto Patronum."

Small wisps of white came out of his wand.

Draco growled. He didn't even notice the others had stopped their own attempts, including Harry, Hermione, and Ron teaching to watch him. Luna reassured him, "Just try again, Draco."

She stood on her tiptoes to whisper into his ear, "Try Michael. Just try."

Draco allowed Michael to come to the forefront of his mind. Michael raised his wand and thought of Father. He thought of the time when everything was right in heaven. When their were four archangels, and no war amongst the angels. He remembered the glory and light of the heavenly host. He remembered the power and radiance he felt, the righteousness of it all, the beauty of his siblings in their true forms beyond human comprehension. He remembered home.

"Expecto Patronum!"

Light erupted from his wand. His patronus couldn't decide what shape to take. Eventually it turned into a tower of light a wingspan that spread across the room flapped with power. Luna sent her patronus, a hare, along with it and it hopped through the air around Draco's. Michael thought it very small in comparison to his true form, even Gabriel's true form was the size of Jupiter, but humans could only perceive certain parts. Luna seemed to like it though.

When their patronus' faded, Luna jumped up and down and clapped, "That was the most wonderful angel! Oh, it must seem dull in comparison to the real thing, but so beautiful! That was splendid, Draco."

Draco smiled shyly, "Thanks."

Hermione asked, "Luna, whyever would you think that was an angel?"

Luna replied nonchalantly, "Because that's what it was. If we could speak to you three in private after the meeting that would be lovely."

Hermione looked to wear Harry and Ron were helping some of the others before she reluctantly agreed, "Alright, we'll hear what you have to say, but this better not be some kind of trick."

Neville Longbottom leveled Draco a glare before being pulled back into the practices with Ginny Weasley.

Draco practiced disarming with Luna going back and forth tossing their wands to each other when they managed to get it. Draco was surprised how easy it was to get along with Luna. He'd never paid Looney Lovegood much mind unless it was to listen to her tales of creatures for amusement. He didn't bully her since everyone else already did, but he wasn't her friend either, and yet Luna treated him as if they'd been friends for years.

 _She's a good human. Very curious, but good._

 _ **You really think so? Like she'd want to be our friend?**_

 _I think she's already decided she is._

Draco waited until he was sure the other students were gone, and with Luna at his side he went to confront Potter and his lackeys. Ron appeared more murderous than usual when looking at Malfoy, but he followed Harry's lead and when Harry did nothing he just crossed his arms looking the part of a petulant child. Draco would've laughed had he not thought it would've earned him a broken nose.

Draco ran a hand through hair, "Alright, so the dark I mean-You-know-Who didn't take my father's failure well, so he gave me a mission he knew I would fail. As my family's punishment I would die, my mother would die, and my father would be left to rot in Azkaban knowing he can't assist us. The mission he set me is to kill Albus Dumbledore. I don't want to do that, so that's why Luna gave me the idea to come to you lot. Are you following so far?"

Harry asked, "Why not go to Dumbledore?"

"I don't trust him not to tell Professor Snape. That's bloody why."

Hermione said, "I feel there's something else your not telling us."

Luna put her hand on Draco's shoulder, "Go ahead. It's alright."

Draco took in a deep breath and breathed out slowly, "I'm kind of the archangel Michael. I found this tree where my Grace, what makes me an angel, was and I remembered everything."

Ron snorted, "What the hell is an archangel?"

Luna replied, "The archangels are heaven's most terrifying weapons. Michael is the eldest of them all. Only three beings are older than he."

Hermione furrowed her brow, "Could you perhaps prove your claim somehow?"

Ron rolled his eyes, "Malfoy is just pulling our legs. The git just fooled Luna; might've drugged her with a potion or something.

Draco allowed a smidgen of his true form to show in the form of three sets of shadow wings on the wall of the classroom, " _I am the archangel Michael. I am the commander of God's armies. I have seen empires rise and fall. I had seen millenias before your first ancestors had crawled out of the ocean. Do not doubt me, boy."_

Hermione gasped, "My family used to go to church, and I remember learning about the archangel Michael. To learn not only magic is real, but also angels. Do the two conflict in anyway? This is astounding. Did you just recover your, Grace as you say, and that's when you remembered your time as Michael. Were you reborn as a human? Do all angels get reborn? Does evolution really exist?"

Luna put her hand over her mouth to stop her rapid fire questions, "Hermione, your overwhelming him. He just regained his Grace not long ago."

Hermione batted Luna's hand away and asked, "Would you, Michael uh Sir, help us defeat Voldemort."

Draco let his lips quirk up in amusement, "Just Michael or Malfoy will be fine; Draco if your feeling ambitious. I'm sorry for my behavior these years, but in all honestly I was a child and now I have centuries of knowledge in my head. It's all very strange. That was the plan in the first place. I cannot go home like this, so I was hoping you could help me and my mother. I don't yet have the control over my Grace to be very powerful help right now, but I'll get better."

Harry nodded, "I feel like your telling the truth, but I don't trust you even if you are this Michael, you'll have to prove yourself and we'll help you out over the holiday to meet with the Order."

Ron grumbled, "It's still Malfoy."

Luna interjected, "We should go on a Nargle hunt! Come along, Michael."

Draco chuckled and followed her.

 _I like her._

 _ **Glad we feel the same. It would've been weird if we didn't.**_


End file.
